Obituary: John Marshall Ferguson

John Marshall Ferguson passed away Wednesday, March 29, 2017. John was born Jan. 27, 1926, in San Antonio, Texas, just a few blocks from the Alamo to John M. Sr. and Hazel (Mills) Ferguson. The family moved north and ended up in Roseburg, Oregon.

At 16 John joined the Marine Corps and became a Marine Raider. He fought in the South Pacific until he was severely injured and was mistakenly reported KIA. He spent the next year in the hospital recovering from his injuries. He was awarded three Purple Hearts.

After he was discharged, he finished high school, then married Avis on June 1, 1946. He went to OSU in Corvallis, Oregon. While going to college, Marsha and Jerry were born. John received his BA in Agriculture and took a job in Montana as the Poultry Supervisor for the State. He worked in Montana for 10 years. During that time, Mona and Steve were born.

He went back to school to get his Master’s degree in Voc Ag. He taught in Siletz, Oregon, then in Milwaukie, Oregon. Later he took a job with Action/Peace Corp as a director and worked in Malaysia for three years.

Upon returning to Oregon, he took a teaching job until he had a stroke and retired at 51. They split their time between the desert in Arizona and Roseburg, Oregon, and spent several years traveling around the U.S. in their fifth wheel. When it became hard for John to travel, they moved to Prescott Valley, Ariz. They lived in Prescott Valley for 30 years.

John was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Avis, of 69 and one half years; his sons Jerry and Steve; sisters Marcelline and Olene. He is survived by his brother, Jack Ferguson (Helen); daughters, Marsha Bell and Mona Juravic (Paul); grandson Tony Bell (Amy); granddaughter Tami Ammerman (Ken); great-grandchildren, Michael and Nickolas Ammerman, and Matthew and Sam Bell.

A service with military honors will be held on April 8, 2017, at 10 a.m. at the VA Chapel in Prescott.

Information provided by survivors.